Why PHL Ranks Just 18th For Air Passengers

Philadelphia International Airport (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Philadelphia International Airport is the 18th busiest U.S. airport in passenger traffic, with 30.5 million air travelers last year.

The nation’s busiest passenger airport, Atlanta, handled 94.4 million fliers, while 66.8 million traversed Chicago O’Hare, according to Airports Council International.

Among airports with the fastest passenger growth, Philadelphia was No. 25 among the top 50. Passenger traffic here was up 1 percent.

How does the nation’s sixth-largest metro area by population come in No. 18 in passengers?

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/20140424_Why_PHL_ranks_just_18th_for_air_passengers.html#P4IVjH9JTs20XwMX.99

Storm Causes Big Problems; 1 Dead In Crash

English: This is my own work, Public Domain Photograph, not copyrighted Ed Yakovich http://www.flickr.com/photos/10396190@N04 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The large storm that blew through overnight – churning up high winds and causing local flooding – is causing major traffic problems early on throughout the Philadelphia regions on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

A string of crashes, one deadly, were reported through the night and into the early morning. Airports have also begun reporting delays and canceling flights due to the weather.

One person was killed in a crash shortly before 5 a.m. on the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) at West Girard Ave., severely impacting traffic. It was not clear if weather was the main factor, but flooding was reported on the roadway prior to the crash.

Indeed, the expressway was closed eastbound and westbound at Montgomery Drive because of flooding. Police were being asked to prevent motorists from getting on at the nearby entrance ramps.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Noreasters_winds_rain_impacting_commute.html#mBMC5O16HHDpHVKp.99

Pennsylvania Transportation Performance Report 2013

Here’s basically what the report is about:

“On behalf of our “Board of Directors,” the Pennsylvania State Transportation Commission (STC), please
accept this first edition of the Transportation Performance Report.  It provides a snapshot of the transportation system’s current status, performance within current resources, and potential for progress as
we move forward.  The report showcases various data and trends.  It also includes actions taken thus far
in response to the Transportation Funding Advisory Commission Report, presented to Governor Corbett
in August 2011.”

The report is very interesting and will give you a good idea of what’s going on in our state.  This will take a minute or so to download as it is a large file, but the format is nice and it’s an easy read with graphs and pictures to help illustrate what is being said.

Click here:  ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/Bureaus/Cpdm/STC/TPR%20FINAL%202-7-13.pdf

Cape Air To Pull Out Of Lancaster Airport

Cape Air Cessna 402 at SRQ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cape Air has decided to stop serving Lancaster Airport, a company executive said Wednesday.

But it will keep flying between here and Baltimore-Washington International until a successor starts operating here.

“Cape Air is committed to providing uninterrupted, great daily air service … until another airline can begin,” said Andrew Bonney, vice president of planning.

Whether another airline offers to serve Lancaster, and which city it would fly to, remains to be seen.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/625177_Cape-Air-to-pull-out-of-Lancaster-Airport.html#ixzz1ryuKZsVO

Harrisburg International Airport Poised To Escape Next Round Of Air Service Cuts

Harrisburg International Airport (HIA) is doing well and traffic is up. With the price of fuel, many airlines are looking at the cost-effectiveness of their 50 passenger regional jet fleets.  With todays fuel prices it has become more cost-effective to fly larger planes.  Fortunately, HIA is equipped to handle larger planes.

There are 1.8 million people within an hour of HIA which makes this a sizable market.  Because of this, many carriers flying into the HIA will simply start using larger planes. 

Delta has seen at 50 percent increase in traffic on their DFW to HIA route due to the Marcellus Shale gas industry.  Harrisburg is the hub of Pennsylvania’s state government and home to large companies like Hershey, which use air travel for business.

Airport officials are stating American Airlines bankruptcy filing will not impact travelers flying out of HIA.  What American Airlines decides to do with its regional airlines will determine what the future holds for HIA, not the bankruptcy filing.

Smaller market airport like State College and Venango Regional will most likely be under scrutiny by airlines as they decide whether flying from these locations remains cost-effective.  Can these smaller markets generate enough passengers to fill 70 – 100 seat planes?  Time will tell.

Travel And Leisure’s Most Dangerous U.S. Airport List

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Travel and Leisure Magazine has come up with a list of the 20 most dangerous U.S.airports; based on their scoring system.  

Philadelphia International came in at number 14.  There have been 50 runway “incidents” at PHL; fourteen of those incidents occurred in the last two years.  There are three problem locations for pilots, according the magazine.  Recently the FAA has made changes to cut down the number of runway issues.

No other Pennsylvania airport made the list.

To view the article and list, click here:  http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/tls-most-dangerous-us-airports/1

Airline Malfunction Causes Unscheduled Landing At Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport

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Delta Airlines Flight 4061 took off from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport at 5:48 p.m. this evening.  The 40 passenger regional jet was bound for Detroit. 

Shortly after takeoff the pilot realized the nose gear failed to retract so he was forced to return to Avoca and circle the airport until landing clearance was given.  The plane safely landed at 6:41 p.m. 

Airport officials took every precaution and deployed over two dozen emergency vehicles to the runway in case of any further malfunctions when the aircraft touched down.

Passenger reactions ranged from crying and praying to one individual sleeping through the entire ordeal.

The plane was towed to the terminal for inspection.  This was a connecting flight so many passengers were left scrambling to find other connections.

Philadelphia International Airport Plans $5.3 Billion Dollar Expansion

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A plan to expand Philly International (PHL) is being met with mixed reactions from airlines and local residents.

Passenger traffic is expected to grown from 15 million passengers in 2009 to 27.8 million passengers by 2025.  To meet this demand, the airport is adding a 5th runway, expanding two current runways, adding a new commuter terminal and relocating the UPS facility to another part of the airport complex.  72 homes and 12 businesses will be demolished to relocate UPS.

18,800 employees work at the airport.  Another 1700 – 2000 Delaware County residents work for UPS.  The airport contributes $14 billion dollars to the regional economy and supports 141,000 jobs.

US Airways and Southwest Airlines had mixed reactions because of their increased costs.  Tinicum Township residents feel this expansion will further infringe on their community.

Click on the link below to read the entire article which includes a map showing the proposed changes to be made at the airport. 

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front_page/20101203_Airport_expansion_plan_stirs_concern_among_airlines__neighbors.html?viewAll=y